


Low Tide

by TimidMarshmallow



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: I just never posted, Like back when I first started writing old, mermaid au, this is actually really old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 19:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17473733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimidMarshmallow/pseuds/TimidMarshmallow
Summary: The emperor forbids interaction with the traitorous humans. Prompto doesn’t know why. So of course he accidentally befriends one, and then two more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a WIP a friend posted ages ago. They also helped come up with the lore and customs discussed within. The art was never finished, so I'm finally just putting up the writing without its companion...
> 
> The ending scene was what the drawing would have been.

Noctis sighed as Ignis lectured. 

"- and continuously blowing off these essential meetings is not conducive to your training. You're already almost twenty, and your coronation grows ever closer. I can't keep covering for you once you've taken your father's throne, Noctis." 

Noctis stared out at the sea before turning away from the glass balcony door. "I know, Ignis. It's just... This is my last chance to breathe before everything starts getting intense. More so than usual, I mean." 

"Highness, I understand you are a young man burdened with the task of caring for an entire kingdom, but please know that I am here for you. Gladio is here for you, no matter how brass he may be. Just... know that you are not shouldering this burden alone." 

"I know. Thanks, Specs. I'm going to go apologize to Dad and see if I can get away with another ride down by the shore." Noctis grabbed his riding jacket. 

"That poor chocobo of yours is going to revolt one day. All that running away you do can't be good for the bird." Ignis shook his head as he let Noctis go to enjoy his last bit of freedom. 

"Haha, Specs. Very funny. I'll be back after the sun sets, so don't send anyone looking like last time." 

Noctis passed through several hallways before bumping into his uncle. He rolled his eyes as the man straightened his stupid hat. "Ah, Prince Noctis, fancy meeting you here." 

"Yeah, Uncle Ardyn, fancy meeting the prince outside his father's throne room. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off chancellor-ing somewhere else?" He squeezed past the irritating relative. Ardyn wasn't actually his uncle, he was a cousin or something. Noctis hadn't payed attention when the royal family lineage was explained, he just knew that Ardyn was a pain in the ass that wouldn't go away. 

"Yes, you're quite right. I must be off, I've business to attend to. Tell me, have you ever seen the sea at dusk? It's beautiful, you should come with me sometime to watch it." Ardyn had on that slimy grin he got when he was planning something. 

Noctis waved his hand dismissively as he walked away, all too familiar with that particular smile. "Yeah, sure thing. See you later, enjoy the dusk or whatever."

The prince strode across the throne room to where his father sat. King Regis stopped speaking with Clarus, the head of his army and personal bodyguard, to address his son. "Noctis. I have the report from the meeting you missed right here. What was it this time? Fishing? Or were you down at the market?" 

Noctis smiled at the king, innocent as a child. He spoke with a mocking pomp to his voice. "Why, father, you wound me. My distraction was much nobler than a simple pastime." 

Regis and Clarus chuckled. "Let's hear it then." 

"I was busy helping a little boy who had gotten too close to some cactuars. He had been trying to study them, the silly lad. Here, I have proof of my deeds." Noctis pulled a cactuar needle out of his pocket. 

"Well, you were out building positive relations with our subjects. I shall forgive you for this missed meeting. But I still expect you to review this report." Regis held up the notes for his son to take. As Noctis drew close he whispered. "Ardyn was hanging around outside, and then he did that dumb 'I'm so clever' smirk. So heads up, Dad."

Regis sighed. "Thanks for the warning. Clarus, please have your top soldier trail him for now." 

"Yes, your majesty. I shall inform Nyx of his task." 

Noctis kissed his father's cheek. "I'm going to head out too, Dad." "More cactuar slaying?" "No, I'm going to the beach." Regis shook his head. "That chocobo of yours is going to run away one day." 

"So everyone says. Bye."

-o-

"Prompto! When I get you out of there I'm going to kill you!" Aranea moved another rock by wedging her lance between the cracks. 

"But 'Nea, Dad said the sabretusk seaweed grew in these caves. How was I supposed to know that it's called sabretusk seaweed because real live sabretusk sharks live here?" Prompto clutched the plant he had been gathering closer, moving back further into the crevice he was trapped in. He wished Aranea would hurry. The tiny space was great for escaping chasing sharks, but not great for his claustrophobia. 

"I, hngh, told you not to, mmrgh, call me that, Shortcake. Hah, hoo, you know, for the son of the emperor's top scientist... you sure can be pretty naive. I don't know why your father would send you here alone. You're lucky I was passing by on my patrol route." Aranea got back to moving rocks. "Hrrgh!! How, rrfm, how did you even get stuck in here?"

"Well, turns out the sharks don't like it when you try to gather samples of the seaweed they use to aid digestion. I, uh, tried to swim towards the exit, but there were a lot more of them than I was ready for. Well, I wasn't ready for any of them, but you know, hehe... Anyway, I managed to get in here and the sharks slammed into the opening. That made the rocks fall down-"

"Let me guess. That scared them away while trapping you in here. Again, you're lucky I passed by and heard your screaming. What would you have done if I hadn't been here?" Aranea finally moved the right rock and the rest crumbled down enough for the skinny merman to wiggle through. 

"Dad would've come eventually. Maybe." Prompto doubted his father would've cared much, Verstael was more concerned with his experiments than with his son. Because of this neglect, Prompto had often wandered the lower levels of the emperor's palace. The boy had watched the soldiers as he grew, eventually making friends with a promising young mermaid named Aranea. She was gunning for a high rank within Aldercapt's army, and she was close to earning it now. 

The two had practically grown up together, Aranea acting as a big sister to the otherwise ignored blond. Prompto wasn't good with science like his father, nor was he built for combat. Emperor Aldercapt allowed him to stay in the palace because he sometimes made the boy read to him or write things down. He wasn't officially a scribe, but having a job of sorts had kept him out of a lot of trouble. When Prompto wasn't working then Verstael would send him on these 'resource recovery' missions, and that's when most of Prompto's misfortunes happened. 

Like always, big sister Aranea bailed him out. 

"I'm going to deliver these, and then I'll see if I can sneak away for a bit. What time does your patrol end? You could come with me." Prompto turned towards the direction of his father's lab, waiting for the answer. 

"Not today. Sorry. You'll have to actually be careful for once." She ruffled his hair before getting back to patrol. 

Prompto swam quickly, knowing he was probably already late, meaning he was already in trouble. Entering his father's lab, he cautiously set the seaweed on a table and greeted his father. "Here's your sample, Dad. Sorry it took so long."

Verstael looked up from the fish bones he was grinding into a powder. "About time. The emperor sent for you, but I have another collection I need you to make. After you are done with Aldercapt, head straight up to the surface and gather this specific starfish, understand? Only this one will do, boy. I need at least fifteen." He held up a black starfish and shoved it towards his son before getting back to work. 

"Where are they on the shore? They're not by the-" 

"They can be found in tide pools by the rocks close to the Lucian palace, and yes, they're close to those filthy humans. I don't need to remind you that Aldercapt forbids citizens to speak with the heathens, so if you see one just keep your mouth shut for once." Verstael shooed Prompto out of the lab, tasks assigned. 

Prompto looked at the starfish in his hands. Why did his father need something from so close to the humans? Why couldn't it be from a nice coral reef? Aldercapt forbid the merpeople in Niflheim from interacting with the Lucian humans, claiming that they were all evil and would attack on sight. 

Prompto hurried to the throne room, hoping that Aldercapt wouldn't be upset that he had to wait. The elderly king was just dismissing two of Aranea's comrades when Prompto arrived. He swam past them, starfish still in hand.

"Ah, there you are, boy. Hurry, I have an appointment to attend and I need you to take notes." Aldercapt waited for his unofficial secretary to grab the seaweed notebook, fishbone quill, and squid ink stashed in a bag behind the throne. "Let's go." The emperor led Prompto out of the palace and they had been traveling for a while before the blond dared to ask where they were going.

"Uh, excuse me, but... where was your appointment again?? It's just, we're heading towards the surface and I don't know of any other sirens that live so close to the shore because of the whole 'please don't talk to humans' and it just seems dangerous to-" 

Prompto cut off his nervous rambling when the emperor stopped swimming. Aldercapt turned his head slightly to peer at the fretting child behind him. "Can I trust you?" 

An owlish blink occurred, followed by a confused look and then rapid nodding. "Uh, yes. Trust me to what?" Prompto knew better than to upset the old man. He had seen what happened to an old adviser who had enraged Aldercapt. Or rather, he hadn't, because the adviser was still mysteriously missing. Nobody would speak about it, so Prompto's anxious imagination filled in the gaps with the most horrific scenarios possible. 

"Can I trust you to keep a secret? Even from your father?"

Prompto nodded again, slower this time. This would be easy, his father never asked him about what he did for the emperor anyway. 

"Good. When we arrive, don't speak. Just write." 

They started moving again. Finally reaching what seemed to be the destination, Prompto looked around at the cave entrance and was surprised to see boats floating above them after they swam through. 

"The Lucian's secret royal harbor. Ardyn's lucky no one fancies an evening sail." Aldercapt waited by the pier hidden inside the cave. Prompto marveled at the ships that probably carried past human kings directly above where he lived now. He snapped to attention when he heard footsteps on the creaking wooden dock, and sank into the water behind the emperor. 

"Ah, there you are! I was almost certain you'd forgotten our little chat time. No matter, you're here now and we can begin. Oh? Who is this?" 

Ardyn had noticed the extra attendee. 

"Simply a servant to the empire. My eyesight is failing, and I have the boy here to write for me." Aldercapt waved dismissively. "Now, last time you mentioned using poison urchins. How did that work out for you?" 

Prompto wasn't sure what he should be writing down, so he started scribbling furiously as the creepy human chattered on. Great, his first human sighting, and it's this weird man that spoke with obvious disdain. As he copied everything, Prompto wondered how this secret allegiance had come to be. And why? Also, why forbid the citizens to interact with humans when Aldercapt did it himself?

Ardyn yammered on. "-but when I handed him the cup, the dolt didn't even take a sip. I had forgotten about his stupid, childish hatred of vegetables. Apparently tea has too much plant matter, he called it 'leaf juice'. I swear, when I finally have a way to get rid of both Regis and Noctis, I will make them suffer for every irritation I've endured."

"Ah, your tales of frustration always have a hint of humor. I don't understand why you don't just stab them both in their sleep." Aldercapt chuckled as if attempted regicide was a particularly good joke. 

"They are guarded around the clock. Anyway, enough about me... How go your preparations?" Ardyn watched the little blond as Aldercapt began explaining how many troops were being trained and how many spears they'd amassed and blah blah blah. 

The boy looked absolutely terrified as he wrote furiously, and Ardyn realized he had to be about the same age as his relative. Hmm, maybe a little younger than Noctis? Either way, this was obviously the first time he was learning that the head of his country was planning a war against the surface dwellers. Ardyn smirked. Such innocence was adorable. 

Aldercapt concluded his report with a plan to meet up again in the near future. "As soon as there is a moment of weakness, strike, and I shall take revenge with you." 

"Many thanks, old friend. Once I am king you shall be free to control the seas as you once did, as it should be." Ardyn's mock bow told Prompto all he needed to know about the man. All flair, no sincerity, and completely dangerous. Maybe this was why human-merfolk relations were rare. If humans were like this guy, then Prompto hoped he would never meet another. It was disappointing, he had always been fascinated by the things they dropped in the sea. 

As he followed Aldercapt away from the dock's edge his tail and bag of writing supplies got caught in a net hanging off of one of the boats. Prompto struggled to free his lower half as the emperor watched. "Do you see why I wish to wage war on these menaces? They pollute our ocean with their nets, endangering my people. They have found a way to resist our song, and now we have no defense against them." 

Prompto worked the net off. "I didn't know you were planning on attacking them... Surely they're not all evil? I mean, I've met some nice people and mean people back home, so maybe it's the same up top?"

They resumed swimming back to the palace. "Your naivety is amusing. To compare us to the humans? Unthinkable. They are all like their king, a fool who underestimates the power of the vengeful sea. That idiotic ruler thinks he can stop us from fending his ships out of my domain by using that accursed ring to silence our siren's song." 

"Why are we vengeful? If we've never been allowed to-" 

"Silence. Do not question things from the past. Just know that Regis has slighted me and I've yet to repay the favor. Indeed, the only trustworthy human I've met is Ardyn." 

Prompto sensed that this was not something he was supposed to be asking, and because he still feared the emperor's temper he stopped talking. 

He followed Aldercapt, remembering that he still needed to gather the starfish samples before he returned home.


	2. Chapter 2

Noctis' evening beach trip ended up being postponed. On his way out Gladio had found him and requested that they squeeze in some extra sword training. Noctis hadn't been able to resist the thinly veiled challenge, and had been disappointed when the sparring led to a tie. 

Exhausted, the prince had retired to his room to rest. 

The next morning Noctis woke up early, way earlier than usual. It was an hour or so before dawn when he was ripped from sleep due to a nightmare. Sighing, he got up. Might as well take his personal time now while everyone was still sleeping, especially since his beach stroll had been sidetracked yesterday. 

Leaving a note for Ignis on the bed to prevent a kingdom-wide search, Noctis gathered his beloved chocobo from the stables and rode down to his favorite spot. Settling by one of the tide pools near the palace, he lay down. 

The ocean waves were melodic, and it smelled nice here... Noctis closed his eyes. Surely it would be impossible to suffer nightmares in such a beautiful location?

Noctis was almost asleep when he heard moaning. He was going to ignore it, but then he heard splashing. The prince sat up, ready to summon a weapon with his magic. On guard, he crept to the edge of the rock and looked down at a lower tide pool. 

???

Noctis blinked before jumping down to move closer. A boy with a... tail... was in one of the larger tide pools, leaning on the edge with his head in his hands as he groaned. 

The prince had read about the ocean's citizens, but he had never seen one. He was a bit apprehensive, his father's stories always included a malicious merking and warnings about irresistible songs of death, but this boy looked harmless enough. As Noctis inched closer he saw the problem. The shimmering tail was caught in a crab trap, and it looked like this merman needed a little help. "Uh..."

The distressed stranger whipped around before scrambling back at the sight of a human. He had started trying to open the snare, but his task was forgotten. "D-don't hurt me-oops!" He clapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. Do you want help with that?" Noctis pointed at the trap tangled over the fins at the edge of the boy's tail. The prince moved forward after getting a hesitant nod. "How did you even get up here? It's pretty far from the shore, even when the tide is high..." He finally got the tail free. 

The blond shook his head, mouth still covered. 

"What are you doing?" Noctis stopped checking for wounds, still waiting for an answer or a thank you or something. 

A muffled whisper finally came out from between the fingers. "M'not s'posedto talk t'hum'ns."

"You're not supposed to talk to humans? Why?" Noctis sat on the edge of the tide pool, now curious about this supposedly forbidden conversation they were engaging in. 

The merman let go of his face and started picking up some black starfish that Noctis hadn't noticed before. "Emperor Aldercapt and my dad say that humans are evil. But they never say why... you don't seem evil." He paused his gathering to look at the other male again. 

Noctis scoffed. "Of course I'm not evil. Wait, am I the first human you've ever seen? Since you think we're evil and all..." He picked up one of the dark sea stars near him and held it out. 

"You're the second I've seen, but the first I've ever talked to. Oh! I'm Prompto, by the way." Prompto scanned the pool before diving to grab the bag he had dropped. He resurfaced and started putting his pile of starfish into it. 

"Who did you see?" Noctis watched the tail nervously twitch in the water as Prompto worked. He listened to the the description of the first human sighting and realized it sounded a lot like his uncle. Who else was 'creepy, insincere, and full of himself' with 'dark red hair, a bajillion coats, and an ugly hat'? "Where did you see Ardyn?" 

"Oh, yeah, that was his name. I saw him in a cave with a bunch of boats. Wait, you know that weird man? He was talking about taking revenge and poisoning tea." 

"Unfortunately, he's my uncle. He's also the chancellor, so my dad kind of can't get rid of him despite the fact that he's obviously evil. But once I'm king, he's getting kicked out. I don't care about royal protocol or whatever." 

"King?" Prompto looked confused, and Noctis realized he never introduced himself. He wasn't used to people not knowing his name. "I'm Noctis, the prince of Insomnia. But you can call me Noct. I live in that palace over there." He lazily pointed, and Prompto wondered why he seemed so unenthusiastic. 

"Whoa, you're the prince? Pretty cool! I live in the emperor's palace too, but I'm just... Well, I guess the right term is servant." Prompto smacked his forehead. "I'm going to be sharkfood though. I was supposed to give these to my dad last night, but before I knew it the tide had changed and I got stuck up here. And then I got trapped in that contraption." He gestured to the discarded crab trap. 

"Wait, you were stuck here all night?" Noctis was incredulous. This kid was probably starving, then! He whistled for his chocobo. 

Prompto continued, not knowing what his new friend was doing. "I sorta fell asleep... it was tough trying to drag myself through the spots where it's too shallow to swim! It was also pretty dark, and I wasn't sure which way I was going."

The summoned chocobo jumped down to its master, who stood up to reach into the saddlebag. Prompto watched with fascination sparkling in his eyes. 

"Oh, I guess you've never seen a chocobo before either, huh?" Noctis pulled out a Duscaen orange and sat to peel it. He handed the awestruck Prompto half of the fruit. "Wanna pet her?"

"Yeah... Ooh, she's so pretty... what's her name?" Prompto sat on the edge of the tide pool as he ate the fruit with one hand and pet the chocobo with the other. Wow, even human food was good! Prompto was used to eating fish and sea plants, but this surface stuff was yummy too. 

Noctis blushed. "Uh... Sylleblossom. She was actually a gift from the princess of Tenebrae. I raised her myself." Noctis called the bird to his side with a few gentle tongue clicks. "Yeah, Luna gave her to me as this tiny little chick. I haven't seen the princess since, but everybody kind of expects me to marry her sometime after I'm coronated. The kingdom will need a new heir, after all."

"Hmm. I can't imagine just marrying someone you don't really know." Prompto finished the orange and grabbed his bag of starfish. "Thanks for the food! I feel so much better now, I didn't even realize how hungry I was." 

"No problem. Hey, will you be able to make it back to the ocean on your own? The tide's too low now." Noctis eyed the distance between their current location and the sea. It was pretty far, and Noctis still wondered how Prompto had managed to drag himself between tide pools while carrying his bag. 

Prompto also looked at the distance. "I didn't mean to come out this far. It was hard to find these stupid black starfish at night..." He couldn't believe he hadn't been paying attention and had managed to beach himself. That and stumbling into the trap... Aranea was going to tease him so bad. 

He started trying to inch his way back home before Noctis just bent down and picked him up bridal-style. 

"E-eh!? What are you doing!?" 

"Stay still, I'm just getting you back home. Isn't it painful to half crawl like that? How have you not injured the thinner fins hanging off of your tail?" Noctis was careful not to trip over the uneven rocks as he headed away from their meeting spot. 

"Well, yeah it wasn't comfortable, but I'm tougher than I look!" Prompto held the bag of starfish closer to his chest, not wanting to drop any. It would suck if he had to make his new friend stop for a clumsy reason like that. 

Finally reaching a spot where the rocks met the ocean, Noctis lowered Prompto down. "Th-thanks. That was really helpful and really embarrassing..." 

"Hey, do you come here a lot? I know you're not supposed to talk to humans, but I have a friend who would probably love to talk to a merman." Noctis knew Ignis would be delighted to study a species that humans hadn't had contact with for a while. 

"I only came here for the starfish, but I could come back! I mean, I usually manage to get some free time in the morning, so I could come around this time again." Prompto supposed this was the good thing about nobody keeping track of him. He could learn more about these humans, maybe even figure out why they were so hated in Niflheim. 

"I'd prefer later, but if this is the time you can get away then I guess it's okay." Noctis would have no trouble getting Ignis to come here, the man was usually awake by now anyway. Waking up himself would be the problem... Unless he had another nightmare. He hoped that wouldn't happen though. 

"Alright! See you tomorrow then!" Prompto disappeared, and Noctis was left staring at the sea. 

-o-

Verstael hadn't even noticed that his son was gone all night. He had stayed at the lab, and had just assumed that Prompto had gone to their apartment in the palace. "Next time bring me the samples before you retire for the evening." 

"Okay. Sorry." Prompto didn't bother trying to explain that he had spent the previous night trapped. If he did, then he'd have to explain how he got free, and telling his dad he was talking to a human was a guaranteed way to get punished. 

Verstael actually looked away from what he was doing to stare at his son. "You hang out with that soldier girl, Aranea, right?" 

"Yes." What did his dad want with her? He had never bothered to ask about Prompto's friend before. 

"Go fetch her. I've a salve I need to test, and a warrior like her is bound to have a few injuries in need of treating."

Ah. He should've known it was for some experiments. 

Prompto swam off to find Aranea. She was training in the sparring hall, but she stopped when she saw Prompto peeking in. "What's up, Shortcake?" 

"Oh, 'Nea, knew you'd be in here. Listen, my dad needs you to test some healing thingy he's making."

"One, don't call me that. Two, no way am I being guinea pigfish for your dad. Three, I've got exciting news for you. Well, exciting for me, you'll probably start worrying." Aranea put down the weapon she had been practicing with. The sparring hall was still empty, so she felt comfortable discussing the secret news with her young friend. 

"I'm being promoted to commodore! That means I'll also take on the role of the emperor's bodyguard. Apparently he fired his old one last night for digging through some notebook. And I'm using 'fired' loosely here. I'll spare you the details, Mr. Anxious Over-imagination, but it involved deadly squids." 

Prompto clapped for his friend. "Wow, you must be super happy! You've worked really hard for this for a long time."

"Yep! I'm actually supposed to report for duty in fifteen minutes. Are you coming? Usually Aldercapt calls you around this time anyway."

"Okay!" Prompto hesitated. Should he tell Aranea about Noctis? She wouldn't tattle... right? "Aranea? Will you keep a secret for me?" 

Aranea looked at him. "You must be in serious trouble if you're using my full name. What's wrong?" 

"Well, last night, I got stuck out at the tide pools and-" 

Prompto was interrupted by the arrival of some soldiers who passed them in the hall. They were heading for the room the two had just vacated. 

"Lady A, congratulations! We just heard the news from Aldercapt!" "Yeah, he actually sent us to fetch you early. Oh look, you've already got the kid too. Good, he was next on our agenda."

"Thanks, Biggs, Wedge. Come on, Prompto."

It turned out the emperor wanted his unofficial scribe to read yesterday's notes back to him and his new bodyguard. "Commodore, do you understand?"

"I'm a little unclear on why we are waiting for Ardyn's signal to attack." 

Aldercapt nodded, both of his servants were too young to remember the incident that made him hate the humans.

"Thirty years ago, our kind ruled the seas with an iron fist. Sailors who passed through our waters would fall victim to our song, and the human prince, Regis, sought a way to protect his people from mine. He found a way through the Ring of the Lucii... He used it to create a magic wall that somehow dampened our seductive voices. We were forced to retreat, for once the humans realized we were no longer a threat... they attacked and killed whoever they could catch. They invaded, stealing what they could. Our fish, our jewels, everything taken by their grubby little hands!" 

Prompto and Aranea listened to the history lesson without commenting. 

"Some of my subjects had humans they would like to visit without singing to. They were hunted down and betrayed, so I forbid the practice to protect us. If anyone were to disobey this rule, then surely their life would be forfeit. If the humans did not kill them, I would. It was the only way to ensure that ties were severed. Thankfully, I haven't had to enforce this rule for a long time. We've been safe here, gathering strength until it is time to retaliate. I await Ardyn's signal that the Ring of the Lucii has been destroyed."

"But, Ardyn is a human?" Aranea hoped her question wouldn't be seen as defiance. She glanced at Prompto, who was looking pale. 

"He acts in my interest, so I trust him. Indeed, he may be the key to restoring our beautiful siren's song." Aldercapt asked Prompto to fetch some battle plans he wanted to go over with Aranea. 

Prompto shakily swam to complete the request. He was glad he hadn't been able to tell Aranea about Noctis. Aw man, he was going to have to tell Noct that he was putting himself in danger by seeing him... But he had been so nice and had actually cared about Prompto's wellbeing. Right? Humans didn't just carry strangers back to safety all the time, if the history lesson was to be believed. 

Prompto didn't want to give up the first friendship he had since meeting Aranea. He decided. 

He was going to keep seeing Noct, and no one would know.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ignis, I'm telling you, it was a merman."

"But the citizens of the sea haven't been sighted in years. To just stumble upon one, one who didn't immediately attack... It's unthinkable." 

"Well, this one looked younger than me, so maybe he wasn't taught about the war? He said he was told that humans were evil, but he warmed up to me quick enough." Noctis had gone home to do some research, shocking the advisor when Ignis came to fetch him. The prince was actually motivated to learn? Maybe there really was a magical creature involved. 

In any case, Ignis left Noctis to his studies to gather some supplies. If he was going to be dragged along to the tide pools then he could gather some clams while he was there. He had an idea for a new recipe, and didn't want to pass up the chance to get ingredients for his hobby. 

When they left the next morning to meet this Prompto boy Noctis kept going on about they ran into Gladio. He was taking an early jog today, and so he was roped into the prince's quest. 

Prompto was waiting at the shore, where Noctis had carried him to yesterday. "Noct! Hey!" He paused. The other two humans didn't look evil either, just... confused?

"Hey, Prompto. This is Ignis, my advisor, and this is Gladio, my pain in the ass." Noctis narrowly dodged getting cuffed on the head. "You're the ass."

Prompto laughed at Noct's joke, even if the guy who tried to hit Noctis sounded weird. He was glad he had decided to keep coming. It had been all too easy to sneak away, his father had stayed at the lab again and Aranea wouldn't wonder where he was until later. Well, maybe not. She would likely be busy with her new rank, seeing as Aldercapt had told Prompto not to come today. Apparently there was going to be a weapons inspection that the unofficial scribe wasn't needed for. 

"Noct, I learned why I'm not supposed to talk to you yesterday. Aldercapt is mad that your dad can stop some of our powers. Hey wait. Does your dad forbid humans from talking to merfolk?" 

"I didn't ask him... Hey, Iggy, is there a rule about that?" Noctis looked over at Ignis. Both he and Gladio were still staring, confused, at Prompto. 

"You can understand what he's saying?" Ignis moved closer as he pulled out a notebook from his bag. 

"You can't?" Noctis quirked an eyebrow. 

Gladio shook his head. "Hey, not all of us have mystical royal magic that lets us do pretty much everything. All I hear is a jarbled mess of distorted... not even words. I can't make any of it out. No offense, small fry." 

"No, I can hear a sentence structure, but I can't make out the individual words. Maybe if I had more time to study it..." Ignis was drawing a crude sketch of Prompto so he could take notes around his visual. 

"Your friends sound funny, Noct. Like, it almost sounds like how you talk, but it's all wrong? If that makes sense..." 

"So I guess I'm stuck playing translator. The books I found said that humans would talk to you guys... how'd they do that if you have a different language?" Noctis sat by the water, his friends all followed. Prompto climbed out of the water to do so, and Ignis began examining the glimmering tail as he answered. "They learned. Likely with the help of a royal Lucian, similar to our current situation."

Noctis repeated what Ignis said, and Prompto nodded. "This is so cool. But... what is your friend doing? Ignis, right?"

"Oh, Ignis is just being a nerd and taking notes on you. Iggy, show him what you have so far." The notebook was passed over, and Prompto smiled at the depiction of him on the page. "This is a really good drawing! It looks just like me, haha."

Noctis translated. Ignis started muttering to himself as he took more notes. Gladio pointed to where he had noted the color of the tail (the advisor planned to add shading and colors when he returned to the palace). "You wrote pale purple, but it's like a really pale bluish violet."

"Nah, I think it looks like a light lavender." Noctis looked at Prompto's tail. It seemed to glitter when he shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, I'm starting to feel a little exposed under all this attention..." 

Noctis told everyone to stop crowding him, and Gladio laughed. "What, you're not used to being studied? I suggest you get used to it, Ignis is going to keep studying you." Gladio stage whispered, trusting Noctis to imitate when he translated. "He doesn't realize that studying people is rude and creepy." 

Ignis rolled his eyes as Prompto shook his head. "I don't mind! I'm happy to help!" Noctis repeated the sentiment, and Ignis took that as his queue to start asking questions. He formulated a new one while Noctis asked Prompto, and then furiously wrote down each answer as Noctis told him what Prompto said. Gladio just sat back and listened to the rapid volley. 

"You're sitting outside of the water, won't you dry out and get ill?" "No, I'll be okay! Thanks for being worried." Prompto beamed. These other humans were just as nice as Noct. 

"Can you also live in freshwater or do you need to stay in saltwater?" "I can survive in both. This one time, Dad and I went to gather algae from this river that connects to the ocean. It's not too far from here, actually." Noctis added his own statement. "I fish there a lot. It's nice."

The interview continued. 

"What does your diet primarily consist of?" "Fish and seaweed. But we only eat certain types of seaweed. There's this one kind that we use to braid in each other's hair as a symbol of immense trust and friendship. I've seen really talented sirens who can get pearls to stay in the braids. Oh yeah, and we collect the shiny things you guys drop into the sea. A few months ago, Aranea found a necklace and she figured out how to braid it into her hair." 

"Who is Aranea?" 

"Oh! She's my friend. Aranea's got really pretty silvery hair and this dark grey tail that sparkles when she fights. She's a commodore now. She helps me out a lot even though she's a bit older than me."

Gladio had a question. "So do you braid stuff in her hair, and vice versa?" 

"She only let me do it once when we were younger. She said I wasn't very good at it, haha. It did come out all lopsided but she wore it the rest of the day." Prompto smiled at the memory. 

"She was probably proud that you trusted her. But how does she expect you to get better if you don't practice?" Ignis stopped writing to shake out his wrist. It hurt from all the notes. 

Noctis poked Prompto's arm. "Is there any braiding seaweed near here?" Gladio stood up to check along the rocky shore as the merman swam away. Ignis reviewed what he had written, and Noctis pointed to spots he needed to elaborate. 

When Prompto returned with an armful of seaweed he dropped the wet clump in front of them. "I accidentally tangled it all up." 

"That's okay. We can separate it to the best of our abilities and leave it here to dry. It will be easier to braid with then." Ignis examined the water plants before standing up. "We have to head back to the palace now anyway. It's after dawn, and there is another royal meeting that you cannot skip today, Noctis." 

The prince groaned. "Bye, Prompto. We can braid tomorrow, I promise." 

"Okay! It was nice meeting everybody! I'll see if I can't find some shiny things too... That would look cool. Bye!" Prompto waved at all his new friends before starting back towards his undersea obligations. Aldercapt may have given him the day off, but Verstael didn't. 

"So he seems like a good kid." Gladio's assessment was voiced halfway back to the palace. Ignis nodded. "Yes, from what we've seen Prompto does have a kind heart. I hope he wouldn't mind letting me try to figure out their language. Oh, drat. I'm loath to admit I forgot to ask him to sing." 

Ignis could've smacked himself. First contact with a siren and he had forgotten about their mysterious seductive voice. He had wanted to see how much the king's ring would affect the power of their singing. 

Noctis looked at him. "Wouldn't that be rude? 'Hey, sing for us even though we just met you. Also, your murder song doesn't work haha.' I'm surprised you'd suggest something like that."

"It's for my studies, not because I want to taunt him about being powerless. I'm affronted you'd think me so crass." Ignis shook his head. Maybe it would be impolite to ask about the weakened ability. 

Gladio clapped them both on their shoulders. "Hey, are we keeping this secret? We probably should. I can think of one guy who'd probably immediately try something bad if he knew the prince had a forbidden friend." 

Noctis' face darkened. "Yeah, dear old Uncle would love to ruin everything." He wasn't sure exactly what Ardyn would do, but he knew he'd find a way to hurt or humiliate anyone Noctis considered a friend. As it was, the man was rude to Ignis and Gladio. Well, as rude as he could be while still keeping up his 'I'm so innocent and wise' act that no one fell for. 

They agreed to keep Prompto a secret for now. Noctis couldn't wait to see his friend again.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few weeks the four males grew closer. 

They had gone back to braid the seaweed in each other's hair as promised, and Prompto had brought shiny coral pieces with him. Of course, they couldn't get the coral to stay in, and their braids were too loose to hold the seaweed for long. Gladio resolved to ask his sister how to braid hair so they could try again another time. 

Sometimes only Noctis went, some days Ignis would manage to tag along before an appointment. They would work on learning each other's language, and when Gladio finally visited again he was very confused when the other two would start trying to say things in Prompto's tongue. When Prompto attempted to speak in their language the humans cheered. 

"Awesome, Prompto! You sound just like a Lucian!" Noctis clapped for his friend's achievement. 

Overall, they were happy. It was nice to have their private gathering. There were no rules or demands or expectations, and it was easy to forget their troubles for a bit. Prompto loved having friends his age who he could relate to, despite them being humans. He loved being a part of their world. 

-o-

"You seem extra chipper lately." Aranea nudged him as they left Aldercapt's presence for the night. 

"Huh? Oh, um, do I?" Prompto still hadn't told her about his surface dwelling friends. 

"Yeah, and I heard a rookie soldier say they saw 'that skinny loner kid' gathering braiding seaweed. Why are you collecting that? You finally gonna practice for when you get friends who aren't me?" Aranea ruffled his hair. "Or have you already found someone new because I've been so busy lately? I hope so, you need to talk to kids your age, Shortcake."

"Come on, 'Nea, cut it out. I'm not a baby." Prompto playfully shoved her hand away. 

"Yeah? You expect me to believe that? You've practically been my shadow since you were this big." She pinched her fingers together to exaggerate his youth and size. 

"Seriously, I'm okay, 'Nea. I... I did make some friends. Butyouwouldn'tknowthem, theydon'tliveinthepalace!" He hoped she would assume they were Gralean city kids and wouldn't be interested in details. 

Of course, his nervously rushed sentence set off alarm bells. "What are these friends of yours called? Maybe I do know them." She hoped he wasn't messing with a bad crowd. Aranea knew of some merfolk who would love to take advantage of a sweet, innocent boy like Prompto. 

"Umm... Well, there's Noct... He's really nice and cool. And there's Ignis, who is smart. And Gladio, he has some funny jokes. Like I said, you don't know them, haha." He figured there was no harm in using just their first names. Aranea wouldn't know that they were human just from their names. 

"So how did you even meet these guys if you literally have no social life? I mean, all you do is hang out with me when your dad or Aldercapt don't have work for you." Aranea felt guilty she had been spending less time with Prompto because of her promotion. 

"Oh, you know, I bumped into Noct while gathering something for my dad, haha. He introduced me to the other guys." Prompto internally sighed in relief when Aranea didn't ask for exact locations. 

"So, do you like these guys? What do they look like? Are they good to you?" Aranea knew Prompto would get rambling if she riled him up enough. She was really worried about these unknown friends of his. 

Prompto gushed about them, careful not to make it sound like they weren't sirens without actually coming out and saying that he was friends with humans. "Noct has black hair and it looks spiky but it's actually really soft. He let me practice braiding, that's why I was getting seaweed. I want to find some jewels to put in too, like how you do to your hair sometimes."

"There's a new abandoned ship nearby I haven't raided yet because of work. You could check for trinkets in there." Aranea mentally noted the name. Noct. She'd have to ask around for a merman named Noct to see if Prompto was in danger. "What about the other two, are they cool too?" 

"Yeah, Ignis is really good at naming different fish even though Noct... likes to catch them sometimes." 

"Like with his hands or a spear? Cuz I've tried spearing fish for training, and it is rough." 

"Uh... I think he uses tools. Gladio said Noct loves to catch fish just as much as he loves sleeping." Prompto fiddled with his hands. He wasn't technically lying by being vague, right?

"Alright, I'm glad you are talking to more people. Just, be careful. I don't want you to get hurt. You know you're like a little brother to me, right? I'd be devastated if something happened." 

"A-Aranea..." Prompto hugged her. "You're so good to me."

"Yeah, I am. Go get some sleep, kid." Aranea watched him swim away before turning to go home. 

-o-

"Noct! Look at this! I found it earlier today." Prompto held up a black pearl. "It looks like your hair, haha." 

They had started planning evening visits, and these late talks usually consisted of only the younger two. 

Noctis leaned down on the rock, laying on his stomach to reach and accept the offered pearl. "You saying my head is round and shiny?" 

"No, cut it out, man! I'm trying to show you something cool!" Prompto laughed as his friend admired his find. "You can keep it if you want." 

"Funny that you brought me a gift, because I have something for you." Noctis sat up and stuck his hand in his pocket. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." 

Prompto obeyed. He felt something soft and light cling to his wet fingers. 

"Okay, open." Prompto looked at the gift. "A feather?" Noctis nodded and put his pearl into his pocket. "Yeah, from a chocobo. You said you only saw one once, right?" 

"Yeah, the first time we met. It's so dainty." Prompto watched as the feather stuck to itself when he put it in the water. It looked different, and when he pulled it back above the cool ocean the feather drooped. 

"Oh, right. I didn't think about that. You can't really take that with you, the saltwater will probably mess it up. Man, I suck at gift giving." Noctis sighed before nodding to himself. "I know. I can bring you something a bit better next time." 

"No, you don't have to do that. I like the feather, even if I can't take it home. I'll just leave it here, in a rock crevice. It's not like anybody else would find it. I think we're the only guys who come here, aside from Ignis and Gladio." Prompto swam over to a small hole in the side of the rock they had been hanging out by. 

"Good. I like coming here to talk to you. And not just because I can escape from all the royal obligations. You're a good friend, Prompto. My best one, in fact." Noctis leaned back down to splash his number one pal in the face. 

"Noct! If this is how you treat best friends then I'm glad I'm not your enemy. Hate to see what you'd do to them." Prompto laughed and shielded his face until Noctis stopped. "Seriously, though, you're my best friend too. You're the only one I can really talk to, like, talk talk to. You know?" 

Speaking with Noctis was very different than speaking with Aranea, and Prompto was grateful he had Noct. The prince understood what it was like to be trapped and he too felt the fear of paternal disappointment. They were both raised by just their fathers, and so they were able to speak freely about their frustrations and memories. 

"Yeah. I know what you mean." 

As naturally as the sun dipping behind the horizon, the two males switched topics. They didn't need to dwell on their heartfelt confession of friendship, they both knew the other was sincere. They stayed chatting, looking up at the glittering gems now littered across the night sky. 

"Prompto, I have to go back now. I'll bring you a better gift next time, I promise." Noctis waved nonchalantly and he headed back to the palace. 

"Bye Noct. See you tomorrow." 

Noctis ran into Ardyn on the way back to his room. "My, my, are you just returning now? So late... Does your father know of these evening trips?"

"As a matter of fact, he does." Noctis had told Regis about Prompto so that he could keep visiting without the king worrying why Noctis was gone so much. Regis had sighed fondly as his son described his friend, likely remembering a few of his own companions before Aldercapt had gone power crazy. "So tell me, Uncle, why are you wandering by my room so late anyway? Shouldn't you be getting some much needed beauty sleep?"

Ardyn gave him a tight smile. He'd let the insult slide for now. "Just worried for my dear family's safety. A little chocobo told me you like to play down by the rocks next to those dirty tide pools. You really should be careful. There's all sorts of aquatic creatures that live there. But I'm sure you're aware of that." 

Noctis' frown deepened. "Who told you that? As the crown prince, I don't have time to explore that area. You should probably get a new spy, Ardyn. The one you have now is obviously mistaken. Now good night." He stormed past his infuriating uncle. 

Slamming his bedroom door closed, he leaned against it and ran his hands through his hair. He hoped that Ardyn believed his lie. Noctis had been so sure no one had ever followed him. How did Ardyn know? 

Noctis cursed. He'd need to let Prompto know they had to find a new spot. 

-o-

"Highness, did you borrow my notebook? The one with the notes on our friend?" Ignis lowered his voice as he left the palace with Noctis. They were headed out to warn Prompto that their secret spot was no longer a secret. 

"No, why would I touch your book? I don't need to study anything in it, when did you lose it?" 

"I noticed it was missing yesterday. I meant to ask you, but you must've been here."

"You probably mixed it in with all your other books. Don't know how you find anything in your bookshelf, it's so stuffed." Noctis picked up the pace, eager to see if his friend was okay. 

They met Prompto in their spot, the young blond humming merrily while he lay out shards of seashells on the rock. "Oh hey guys, look! You can make a mosaic with them, and it's kind of like a puzzle." He noticed their worried expressions as they drew closer. "What's wrong?" 

"We need to pick a different spot. Ardyn has noticed my sneaking out." 

"Does he know about me? Because if he does then he might tell Aldercapt, and then I'll be in trouble. Like, really big trouble." 

Ignis actually cursed. "My notebook isn't missing. It was stolen. You said he was asking about these tide pools, correct?"

"He even 'warned' me about aquatic life." Noctis clenched his fist. 

"Aw man, I'm as good as dead! Once the emperor finds out I broke the law-"

"He's not going to do anything to you, because you are going to be missing. You said you can survive in freshwater, right?" Ignis was already formulating a plan. "Yeah, but-" "Good. Us 'evil' humans are going to 'trap' you upstream for a couple of days. This way if Ardyn shows Aldercapt the notebook with the sketches of you, you can say you were studied against your will. You can't be in trouble for fraternizing if it seems you were unwilling."

"Yeah, then your dad and Aranea can confirm that you were gone for too long! They'll believe that 'nasty' humans would steal a citizen. That's genius, Ignis!" Noctis started listing potential hiding spots. 

"Are you sure this will work? What if Aldercapt just attacks now if he thinks that Lucians are just taking his people?" Prompto was all for not dying, but if this could accidentally hurt his friends too...

"My Dad said last time the emperor attacked they had driven your people back no problem. All the mersoldiers could do was attack the boats. They couldn't fight on land, and so the humans just started laying traps around the ports. It was easy to subdue an army that could only fight against one front."

"Still, provoking a war is a big risk, especially since we know Ardyn thinks he can gain something by helping the emperor. What advantage does your uncle have, that he's willing to assist Aldercapt?" Ignis removed his glasses for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose. 

"I don't know, but if we can use this as an excuse to get rid of him then I'm all for it. Prompto, are you okay with hiding out for a couple of days?" Noctis looked at his friend, determination in his eyes. The prince was going to save Prompto, and he was going to expose Ardyn so Regis could publicly banish him. The Caelums were tired of being wary of their dark relative's constant scheming. 

"It sounds like you've already decided. I'll do what you think is best... I don't really know what else to do anyway." Prompto was scared. He didn't want to die, but he didn't want to be the cause of a battle. "This is assuming that Aldercapt attacks, of course. He might not, I'm just a servant. It doesn't make sense to start a war for a missing servant. Yeah, okay. This could work. I can do this." 

His shaky justification would have to be enough for now.


	5. Chapter 5

They had found a nice quiet spot in the river that was far from the salty waters of Prompto's home. Noctis often fished there, and he could confirm that there was little reason for regular citizens to visit this location. "The sahagins nearby scare everyone, but they're really easy to frighten away." 

He showed Prompto his trick. All he had to do was whistle, and the alien noise would spook the otherwise fierce creatures. "If anyone does find you and try to hurt you then just swim over to your new reptilian pals." 

Ignis handed him a book. "Here. I know you'll have to stay up out of the water to read it, but it's something to pass the time." They had made leaps and bounds in learning each other's languages, and had begun to tackle reading and writing. Prompto was pretty good at reading, and Ignis had started writing poetry in the oceanic tongue. He liked the font of their words. 

Gladio passed a small dagger attached to a belt. "Here. To help you peel all this fruit and cut up the fish you catch." They had brought food for Prompto, unsure of the river's ability to sustain him. Yeah, there were fish, but he needed a balanced diet or he would grow ill. (Ignis' insistence. They were pretending to capture the boy, not actually neglect him.)

"Thanks guys. I'll be okay, it's really nice here. I'll just pretend it's a vacation. I don't have to act all scared and traumatized until I go back home." Prompto was positively glowing at his friend's heartwarming concern for him. 

"We'll visit when we can, just like before. I'm sorry you have to wait alone until then. It's not fair, but if it means saving your life..." Noctis hadn't realized this when Ignis had first suggested it. But he rationalized that it would be worth it. "We have to go now. Bye, Prompto." 

The merman looked around his new home for the next week. They had figured that was enough time for everybody to think something had happened. He spotted something shining on a rock near the edge of the river. Prompto swam out of the deep center and pulled himself through the shallow water. 

"Oh wow! Bluestone shards, and prismatic dust, and! Whitestone crystals? All these shiny things would be perfect for braiding!" Prompto began collecting the sparkling rocks, wondering how he would get them to stay in his friends' hair. He figured he'd practice when they visited tomorrow. 

-o-

Gladio was loading up a chocobo with some provisions for his hidden friend when he noticed the chancellor lurking by the stable door. 

It was now day four of the staged capture, and honestly, all four men were having a blast. Noctis had managed to convince his father to let him have a fishing trip for the first two days of their plan. Ignis and Gladio tagged along as his bodyguards, and they camped by the river to hang out with Prompto. 

They had enjoyed simple pleasures, fishing and sahagin hunting. They had even figured out how to braid shiny rock flecks into their hair, and Ignis had cooked up a new recipe for them to inhale. 

On the third day Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio returned home to their normal duties. Prompto was left with a new book and some drawing tools. Ignis asked him to study the sahagins for him. The older three lay low, and nobody suspected anything. 

Noctis actually invited Ardyn down to the tide pools when they returned, stating that he wanted to check out the area his uncle had been interested in. After all, he must've had a good reason for asking, right? Ardyn declined, suspicious that the prince was all smiles lately. 

Which brought them to now. Noctis had asked Gladio to take up some more food to Prompto, the prince and the advisor couldn't get out of a meeting to do it themselves. 

The bodyguard called out to the smarmy chancellor. "Hey. Could you tell my dad, Clarus, that I'm taking Iris out for a picnic?" Gladio internally apologized to Prompto. He'd have to wait. If Ardyn thought he was lying then he'd follow him and discover their secret. 

"What a good big brother you are. Oh, but where is your fair sister? It seems you've forgotten to bring her along?" Ardyn didn't believe the lie. Time to make it a reality. "I'm going to fetch her now. It's a surprise." 

"Ah! I'll walk with you then. I have business in that part of the palace." Ardyn followed to make sure Iris was actually fetched. Gladio knew the jerk was probably watching them ride off too. Well, a picnic with Iris was nice too. 

Prompto would have to wait a little longer. 

-o-

"Is Sylleblossom okay? Her feathers are looking a little sparse." Prompto pet his friend's loyal steed again. 

"She's molting a bit. It's normal." Noctis picked up a feather and blew it at Prompto. They were sitting at the river's edge, side by side. "Day five. Your little vacation will be over soon. Then you've gotta stay home for a while so no one suspects anything." He sighed. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Prompto leaned over and hugged his best friend. 

"I've gotta go back now. Ardyn's been shadowing all of us. I left when he was bothering Ignis, so I'm sure he'll be looking for me next."

"Okay. Be careful. Bye."

Prompto went back into the water to lay down in the spot he had chosen as his bed. He chuckled to himself again. Riverbed. That pun would never get old. 

It was late when he was awoken by some splashing. Prompto saw a figure standing above the water's surface, with a chocobo shaped outline next to it. Did Noctis come back for something? The blond swam up as the figure moved behind the chocobo. 

"Noct?? Is that you? I thought you had to go home, dude??" 

Prompto went to the edge and peeked out of the water, pulling himself up slightly to see over the rock. Sylleblossom kwehed at him, a few more feathers dropping from her. "Come here, girl. What's wrong?" He reached to soothe the nervous bird. 

Something shot out and grabbed his wrist. 

"Sorry, boy, but I'm not 'Noct'. But I'm sure you can see the family resemblance." 

Prompto struggled to yank his wrist back. "You're that creepy uncle guy! Get off!" Ardyn laughed. "Yes, I'm the prince's uncle. Did he call me creepy? Or is that little adjective from you?" Ardyn had grabbed his other arm now, and was hauling him out of the water. Prompto thrashed and panicked and tried to slam his tail against his assailant. 

"Ah ah ah, now behave, little merman. You're a long way from home, though I doubt anyone would help you if they knew you were here breaking the law. Aldercapt has made it clear that you commoners are not to interact with humans." Ardyn was tying rope around him now, and this was bad this was bad this was so so bad. 

"Let me go! What do you even want me for? You don't need to do this, get off, let me go, stop, stop, stommph!"

Ardyn squeezed his hand tighter over Prompto's mouth. "Oh, I do need to do this. You're going to help me finally dispose of the pathetic excuse of a royal family. Would you like to know how, dear Prompto?" 

"Mmm!" Prompto tried to shake his head. He didn't want to be used against Noctis!! He needed to get away, warn Noct, let him know that he was in danger, his father the king was in danger and that his uncle was coming and-

"Stop squirming and shut up. You're going to be bait for that idiot prince. He'll be willing to do anything to protect you, he's gone to such great lengths already. Too bad he didn't clean up after his messy molting bird. The trail led me right to you." Ardyn picked up a feather and tickled Prompto's side, laughing when he tried to buck away. 

He kept talking after knotting a strip of cloth around Prompto's mouth. "Here, now you can't interrupt me. Let me tell you a sad, sad tale." He lifted the merman onto Sylleblossom, laying him across the saddle on his stomach. The confused bird was made to follow the chancellor. 

"Once upon a time there were two friends. Princes, in fact. One lived in the sea, and one lived on dry land. I almost forgot! There was a third character, a handsome and charming chancellor there too. He was forced to play loyal servant to the land dwelling royal. He hated it. Unable to take the throne through direct violence, he plotted to ascend through trickery. Of course, the stupid fish prince was easy to manipulate and corrupt but the human prince resisted my persuasions. It didn't matter, though. I managed to turn one against the other, and soon I shall be rid of the king I can't control."

Prompto shook his head. This guy had been riling Aldercapt up to murder Regis so the throne would fall to him? Noctis was also directly in the line of fire, he would rule if the king died. 

He had to escape somehow! If he could make it back into the water then he could swim home and blame Ardyn for his extended absence and maybe Aldercapt would stop listening to the chancellor. If Ardyn lost his secret army then Regis and Noctis could dispose of him without fighting the sirens. 

Prompto wiggled before jerking to one side of the saddle. He slipped off and crashed to the ground. He inched back towards the river, making it a whopping two centimeters away. Ardyn just went around the chocobo to pick him back up. "Did you enjoy your five seconds of freedom?" 

Prompto turned his face away, frustrated. 

-o-

Noctis was heading out to try and visit his favorite river spot early in the morning when he was greeted by a palace maid. The girl stuttered as she fulfilled her task. "The chancellor said to wait for you here, and to tell you that he caught the most interesting fish. He's waiting to show you down at the royal harbor."

Noctis cursed and the maid flinched. "Sorry, you did nothing wrong. Actually, could you tell Ignis and Gladio to meet there too? Thank you so much." He darted past her to confirm his suspicions. 

The secret harbor in the cave was under the palace, and Noctis hadn't visited for a long time. He used to play near the ancient boats when he was younger, but as he grew he visited less. Noctis had no interest in sailing, so he eventually stopped coming to his ancestors' harbor. 

He walked along the creaking pier. "Where is he? Where's Prompto!?" 

Ardyn stepped out from behind a rack of netting and gestured to one of the gently bobbing boats. "Did you know that this particular ship belonged to the Rogue Queen? She wielded a star shuriken to fight, and operated in the shadows. You can see why I admire her."

"Where. Is-"

"Tsk, tsk, Noctis. Can't you listen? I just told you, but you obviously weren't paying attention. Such fixation on a mere boy isn't healthy. You've got a kingdom to worry about. If you'd rather, I could take it off your hands so you could play with your little friends all day." Ardyn took a step forward, weapon appearing in his hand. 

Noctis summoned a sword with the same divine magic. "Over my dead body."

"That's the plan, you imbecile!" Ardyn charged, and Noctis was quick to parry before retaliating. 

Prompto heard the distinct metallic clanging of swords from his spot on the boat's deck. He started trying to escape again. His kidnapper had added insult to injury by tossing a fishing net over him. He had weighed the ends down with barrels and crates, and all of Prompto's attempts to make them budge were fruitless. He was going to try screaming through the gag, but he stopped. What if he distracted Noctis? Then he'd get hurt! 

No, Prompto resolved to get free himself. 

As he struggled with his predicament, Noctis was fighting below with some difficulty. Ardyn was fighting dirty, and though Noctis had expected this it was still tough to counter. He managed to keep the older man from landing any direct hits with some last second blocking. 

"Ardyn? What's going on?" 

Aldercapt and Aranea had surfaced, ready for their rendezvous with the chancellor as usual. They weren't expecting to find Noctis there too. 

"Oh, good, you're just in time to help me finish the job." Ardyn swung at Noctis with all his force, and the prince narrowly avoided the blow. He saw the mermaid with the silvery hair as he dodged. Noctis could swear that time slowed as he realized who she was. "Aranea! Prompto's in danger! Help me, please!"

She had been searching for the boy for days, and though she wasn't sure how this stranger knew her name she believed him. "Where is he!?"

"On the-" "Filthy lies from a worthless prince!" Ardyn swung again as he cut Noctis off. 

"That servant boy has been missing for days! Why would he be here?" Aldercapt was starting to get annoyed. What the hell was happening right now!?

"Noctis!" Ignis and Gladio finally arrived, and rushed into the fray to aid their friend. "I'm fine! Ignis, go help Prompto! He's on that ship." 

Gladio helped Noctis fend off Ardyn as Ignis rushed to find Prompto. The advisor's heart fell when he saw the siren's position under the netting. Prompto had managed to wiggle to a spot between two barrels and get his head free. Ignis pushed the weights off of one side and threw the netting aside. "Are you hurt?"

Prompto answered once the cloth was removed. "No, I'm fine. Thank you. Are Noct and Gladio okay?" 

"Yes, now let's get you back in the water." Ignis lifted his friend and carried him off the boat. They were on the gangplank when Aranea saw them and called out to the little merman. 

"'Nea!? What are you-" Prompto saw the emperor right next to him. But Aldercapt was still watching Noctis and Gladio tag team Ardyn. 

The fight was taking a decisive turn. Although the chancellor had an experience (and height) advantage, he could not keep fighting against two younger men. They had more energy and stamina, and because Gladio hadn't been fighting as long he was not as tired as the other two. 

Ardyn blocked Gladio's swing as Noctis rammed him from the side. The villain stumbled back. 

"Ardyn Izunia! You are under arrest for attempted regicide and kidnapping an innocent citizen!" 

All heads swiveled to see King Regis and his top soldiers marching down the pier. 

Ignis had sent that poor maid to deliver another message, and the cavalry arrived in time to take out the trash. While everyone was still distracted, Ardyn leapt off the pier and into the water. Aranea's lance stopped him, mere inches from shaving his nose off. "Where do you think you're going!?"

She herded him back to the soldiers, who dragged him out of the water and away to the dungeon. 

Regis checked if Noctis was alright before turning to Aldercapt. "It's been a long time." 

"Yes. It has."

-o-

Prompto sat in the tide pool closest to the shore with all of his friends. 

Aldercapt had been shocked to learn of his capture (at Ardyn's hands, he didn't need to know about the little vacation). Regis had sat down on the pier to talk with the emperor as Noctis and Aranea fussed over Prompto. The blond hugged his favorite humans and the mermaid, thanking them for coming to his aid. Once she was sure he was okay, Aranea cuffed Prompto upside the head for lying to her and making her sick with worry. He had awkwardly apologized. 

In the end, Aldercapt lifted the ban on ocean and surface interactions. Ardyn had played him for a fool, and he wanted to undo all of the man's manipulations. 

Prompto was overjoyed. He could visit Noctis without having to hide anything from Aranea. Gladio and Ignis promised to visit more too, they didn't have to worry about sneaking away now. 

"And my dad even said he's going to weaken the magic dampening your siren song." Regis planned to make it safe for humans to hear the oceanic music, and Aldercapt was just happy that a part of his kingdom's heritage would be restored. Noctis slung an arm over his best friend. "Will you sing for us, then?"

"Yeah, sure! I'd be happy too!" Prompto rested his head on Noct's shoulder. "But you're gonna join in too, I can't have all the fun."

Ignis said something in the siren's language, and Arenea was taken by surprise. "You know, when he described you guys I thought you were merfolk. You actually sound pretty close right now." Gladio started teasing the advisor about the blush spreading on his cheeks. 

They started trickling away, Gladio leaving first to go home to his family, then Aranea had to report for duty. There was no more war prep, but the army would not be allowed to dwindle. Ignis eventually headed back, realizing that he should give the youngest two some time. 

Noctis pulled something out of his pocket. "Here. I still owe you a present for that black pearl."

Prompto accepted the gift and held it up to examine it. A pure white pearl hung on a silver chain. "Thank you, Noct. It's beautiful..."

Noctis pulled out his matching black one. "We can figure out how to braid it in our hair tomorrow." For right now, they put the chains on like necklaces so they would not lose them. 

The prince leaned down, kneeling on the rock to hug his merman one last time. "See you tomorrow." As they let go he held onto Prompto's cheek and arm lightly. 

Prompto left his hands resting on Noctis for one last second, his lower half sinking into the sea. 

"Of course. Tomorrow."


End file.
